It may be desirable for content providers to be able to customize content for one or more particular viewers to display on a television (TV) set or other display device. Customizing content displayed on a television screen located where multiple people may view simultaneously or sequentially over time may be difficult because the display may be shared among multiple people with disparate preferences and demographics. Different viewers having different preferences may watch the television at different times or together.
Face recognition is one way to identify one or more viewers positioned in front of a television screen. As an example, Microsoft's® Kinect® uses this method of identifying viewers. Kinect® works with the Xbox® and Windows®-based devices to identify users through optical means. However, providing such optical facial recognition is expensive, and adding such capability to a television, set top box (STB), or game console may increase the manufacturing price on the order of several hundred dollars per device. A less expensive solution is needed for ubiquitous use.
TV and STB remote controls operate using an infrared (IR) signal between the remote control and the TV or STB. IR is directional and requires line of sight. However, most people do not have a remote control device that can provide identity or personalized information in the IR signal that could be used to customize content for the particular viewer(s). Remote control devices are typically shared among viewers and stay in the vicinity of the device they control; they do not represent an individual person.
Whereas most people carry a mobile phone with them that has been configured with personal information, mobile phones are not generally configured with an IR output device. Mobile phones may have other wireless connection capabilities such as Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio waves in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz) from fixed and mobile devices. However, unlike using infrared radiation (IR) such as is used in TV/VCR/STB/DVD device remote controls, Bluetooth does not require line of sight, and may penetrate walls, floors, and ceilings.